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Let 2016 be the year of “good enough”

There sure is a lot to live up to in life. All you have to do is take a look at pinterest or Facebook and suddenly you feel like a bit of a failure. It seems like everyone else is killing it at the gym and making pumpkin spice scented playdough while simultaneously cooking a perfect 7 course paleo meal and homeschooling their kids, while you’re sitting there in yoga pants trying to enjoy your third cup of coffee while your kids run around like tiny crazy people. Okay, maybe that’s just me. Are you sick of it? Me too. That’s why I’ve decided that my new year’s resolution for 2016 is to just let my life be good enough.

Can we all just let go of the pressure we put on ourselves to be perfect? Can we try to do things because they make US feel good? Going to the gym doesn’t have to be a contest and you don’t have to kill yourself for 90 minutes or pay a zillion dollars to exercise! When did fitness turn into this crazy billion dollar industry where people are willing to throw down $200 on an outfit to sweat all over it in a $20-$30 cycle or bootcamp class? People are constantly telling me I should charge more for the classes I offer. I just can’t do it. You shouldn’t have to pay more than the average American makes in an hour to get a solid workout.

Let’s discuss food. Organic. Paleo. Gluten Free. Fat Free. Sodium Free. Nitrate Free. High Fructose Corn Syrup.. I could go on forever. Personally, I try to eat organic foods because I’ve decided that’s important to me. Do I enjoy an occasional bacon cheeseburger? (Shout out to M&Y Brick Oven Pizzeria) Heck yes I do! With a side of spicy fries please! I don’t worry much about it. Like my good friend Tiffany says, it’s about balance. Have some healthy stuff, move your body but enjoy yourself too!

Does exercise make you feel good? If not, maybe what you’re doing isn’t right for you. It’s okay if you don’t enjoy a certain kind of class. It’s okay if going to the gym means you’re running errands in your gym outfit for the rest of the day. It’s okay if you take a day off. It’s OKAY if you eat a burger (with BACON)! It’s okay to have some wine. Remember to challenge yourself though. Try something new just to see if you surprise yourself. Take up a new sport or take a class you’ve never taken.

My super long winded point is that I’m not perfect and nobody is, and I’m tired of this industry shoving perfection in everyone’s face like it’s something they can have if they’re just willing to do X, Y & Z. Perfect is in the eye of the beholder. I just felt like this was important to get out, especially at this time of year when marketing for “a new you” is everywhere.

So if you want to come workout with some non-perfect people in a gym where “good enough” is the new perfect then I invite you to come take a class at The Sweatshop. We don’t do front row divas, we don’t do $20 classes and we don’t judge. Oh and you can try our group fitness stuff for free for 7 days.